Michael Jackson's Back On Top Of Charts After 'Leaving Neverland'

Michael Jackson's music is fighting to be on top of the charts once again ever since the controversial documentary was released.

By Tarun Kapoor

March 10, 2019

Posted March 10, 2019

Michael Jackson made his name as one of the best musicians of all time with chart-topping songs and albums and killer dance moves. With all the fame and success, controversy follows. It followed him throughout his career and even though it has been years since his demise, the controversy doesn't stop. Recently, a documentary on the iconic artist named Leaving Neverland was released. The documentary revealed allegations of sexual abuse made against the late artist. It featured two of his alleged victims, James Safechuck and Wade Robson. The victims claim that they were both abused at a very young age, accusing Jackson of sexual assault and pedophilia. An investigation into the matter is said to be taking place. However, in such troubling times for the family of the late singer, his music has seen to be making its way back to the top of the charts again.

Troubling clips from the two-part documentary showed Safechuck describing his relationship with Jackson, who he met on the set of a Pepsi commercial when he was just nine years old. According to reports, the two became almost inseparable. Safechuck claims that the sexual abuse began when the two were together in Paris, where the boy was apparently introduced to masturbation by the singer. Robson claimed that he was just seven when he was first abused by the singer. The fans have been split between their love and loyalty towards the singer and what the documentary claims to be the truth.

However, regardless of all the controversy going around, Michael Jackson's music is still fighting for the top spot on music charts across countries. The accusations are not enough to drive away all of his fans. The King of Pop's extensive catalog is available on several music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and more. The charts show that people have been listening to his music a lot more on almost all music platforms ever since the documentary was released. It is like they are trying to show their support towards Michael Jackson and claim that he's innocent. The Jackson family has also mentioned that the accusations are false.

According to the Evening Standard, Jackson’s Number Ones album climbed 44 places on the iTunes chart in a matter of hours, reaching number 43, while greatest hits compilation The Essential Michael Jackson reached number 79. Radio stations in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands have removed Jackson’s songs from their playlists following the release of the documentary, but a BBC spokesperson said they do not ban artists, the Evening Standard report. The spokesperson said, "We consider each piece of music on its merits and decisions on what we play on different networks are always made with relevant audiences and context in mind."

At the same time, there are many who have shown their support towards canceling Michael Jackson out, this includes musicals across the world being shut down. After the documentary aired, creators of The Simpsons announced that they would be taking down the episode featuring the voice of Jackson from their archives. The show’s executive producer James L. Brooks confirmed the decision. He said that the classic episode Stark Raving Dad will no longer be in circulation. They have taken it down from everywhere they could, including syndication and streaming services.

If you can’t see that Michael Jackson was a paedophile after watching @danreed1000 ‘s film you are being wilfully blind. And if you are campaigning against it you are actively colluding in the silencing of victims.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Brooks said, "It feels clearly the only choice to make. The guys I work with — where we spend our lives arguing over jokes — we’re of one mind on this. This was a treasured episode. There are a lot of great memories we have wrapped up in that one, and this certainly doesn’t allow them to remain. I’m against book burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter." The family has shown their support for the singer. As reported by The Guardian, the singer's estate is apparently suing HBO for airing the documentary.

The question many are asking now is whether the singer's legacy has been washed away by what has been revealed in the documentary. As reported by BBC, Paul Blanchard, founder of the PR company Right Angles, is of the opinion that it is too early to conclude what the long-term impact of these accusations is. "This is the Brexit of pop music. People will be more divided than ever. The longer it goes on the more alienated and divided people are. As we've got nearer to Brexit people have become even more polarised and even more opposed to each other and not come together. I think this will happen with Jackson's legacy. For those who are starting to turn off him they will become more entrenched in that view. For those that think he's a victim of blackmail and these people are trying to get money out of him - they will continue to think that ever more strongly," he said.

The singer has left an almost untouchable legacy behind. There are many celebrities and fans who still believe that the singer is innocent and should be left to rest in peace. The family has spoken about how this stunt was very disgraceful. The singer's nephew Taj Jackson said that the singer would be "crying" over such allegations. His daughter Paris has maintained a low profile ever since the release of the documentary. There has been no concrete proof regarding the claims made. Further investigation into the matter will soon give us a clear picture of the truth. But it's also important to remember that in cases of child sexual abuse, there's hardly ever proof. The situation is usually very sensitive and there's no conclusive evidence of the abuse, as most children are afraid of speaking. Considering Jackson's fame, this could have been even more difficult for his two accusers.

I do NOT defend pedophiles.I do NOT support pedophiles.I do NOT think sleeping with children is normal, not at all.I do NOT blame victims.

I do DEFEND the INNOCENTAnd because of that,I do DEFEND Michael Jackson.#MJInnocent